1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus, an image processing method, a program, and a recording medium for creating a composite image, such as a photobook, using a plurality of images acquired from terminal devices of a plurality of users through a network.
2. Description of the Related Art
A photobook is a service to create a photo collection of a layout that a user desires using a plurality of transmitted images (image data) when the user transmits the plurality of images to the service provider through the Internet.
For example, a photobook is created by classifying a plurality of images into a plurality of groups based on the imaging time or the like in consideration of the continuity or relevance of images and automatically arranging (automatically laying out) images included in each group on corresponding pages.
In recent years, not only creating one photobook using a plurality of images owned by one user but also creating one photobook using a plurality of images owned by a plurality of users (refer to JP2008-257308A and JP2015-069431A), acquiring messages for writing from a plurality of users and creating a writing using the messages for writing acquired from the plurality of users (refer to JP2001-297051A and JP2015-133000A), determining the theme of an image group and creating a composite image based on the theme of the image group (refer to JP2015-089112A), and the like are known.
In practice, there is also a service of creating one photobook using a plurality of images owned by a plurality of users, messages send by the plurality of users, and the like (refer to “Year Album Simple Creation Of Photobook And Photo Album”, [online], Mar. 1, 2016, Fujifilm, [Search on Mar. 10, 2016], the Internet <URL:http://year-album.jp/>, “Create Photobook For Writing With Year Album That Everyone Makes!|Fujifilm”, [online], Mar. 1, 2016, Fujifilm, [Search on Mar. 10, 2016], the Internet <URL:http://year-album.jp/minna/, and “How To Make: Create Photobook For Writing With Year Album That Everyone Makes!|Fujifilm”, [online], Mar. 1, 2016, Fujifilm, [Search on Mar. 10, 2016], the Internet <URL:http://year-album.jp/minna/login/)